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It is crazy because it allegedly comes out tomorrow (Amazon pushed my delivery date to next Wednesday, which is typical).
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Strangely, no samples yet anywhere.
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Posted: |
Oct 15, 2015 - 11:18 PM
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By: |
John Mullin
(Member)
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I just got back from seeing the flick, which I liked. It's quite talky! Although my wife is a lawyer, I think she would hate it for its density alone.
The score was good. I don’t really agree with reviews that have said that Newman is doing a John Williams impression, although a few of the early cues (like “Standing Man”, which is track 4 on the CD) play the main theme using Americana brass in a way that is more like LINCOLN than how Newman normally does things.
For the most part, it’s very much a Thomas Newman score, however, and doesn’t get too far outside of his normal palate with the exception of a few dashes of Russian choir here and there. The majority of the cues are short and subtle, and it’s hard to pick a main theme out until toward the end of the movie. “Homecoming” (track 14) is magnificent (sort of in the vein of the finale from ANGELS IN AMERICA, but without the choral finish). There are several other highlights as well, but what they're called on the CD isn't entirely clear to me based on the track list.
As usual with Newman score albums, this one is not sequenced in film order. Track 5, “Rain” is the first score piece that is heard in the picture, some 30-40 minutes in… it wouldn’t have been a good cue to open the album with, and so I think Newman made a good choice!
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Saw the movie today. Yes, it's dense and talky, but very engaging and the production values are top-notch. I expect Hanks will get an Oscar nomination, and Mark Rylance as the Russian agent is guaranteed a nod. (A win would go nice with his BAFTA and three Tonys).
I lived in then-West Germany for four years from age 9-12 in the mid-70s and took a few school and family trips to Berlin. Visiting the eastern half was intimidating and scary, and Spielberg captures that aspect of the cold war very well.
Immediately downloaded Thomas Newman's score when I got home. It's one of the very---I mean VERY---few scores of late where I can instantly place the scene in the movie to the cut of music. It's really a great marriage. And the "Homecoming" cut is sublime. Probably an Oscar nod for Newman, too.
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Looking forward to seeing the film.
Listening to the score I recognize the intelligence of the composition but am not enchanted by it. It lacks the memorable theme Williams undoubtedly would have brought to it. Instead it offers lots of Newman-passages that feel overfamiliar to me.
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Looking forward to seeing the film.
Listening to the score I recognize the intelligence of the composition but am not enchanted by it. It lacks the memorable theme Williams undoubtedly would have brought to it. Instead it offers lots of Newman-passages that feel overfamiliar to me.
I apologize for my earlier comment.
Wrong expectations prejudiced me. The more I listen to this score the more I like it.
I should keep myself from posting too fast. Living with a score, listening to it more intently, is not only important but opens up one´s readiness for enjoyment.
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I went to it Friday night. Very engaging - it's always a pleasure to witness Spielberg & crew's professionalism. Weird not hearing a Williams score, but Newman's music works very well.
A note on politics and art:
My main source of irritation with the film was the constant attempt to not distinguish any differences between the U.S. and the Soviets, plus the anti-Communist attitudes of most of the American characters were displayed in a cliche, tiresome, non-nuanced manner. This is not art, but a manipulation of day to day reality to make Hanks' character the sole white knight, Rylance's spy an uncomplicated sweetie, and the other characters dull monoliths. By coincidence, I re-watched the Alec Guinness TV production of le Carre's "Smiley's People" last week - a spy drama which also climaxes with a "bridge of spies" scene - and here the characters were so much more well-rounded and the reality of "spycraft" was beautifully shown in all of its messy detail. Guinness' Smiley was well aware of the Soviet threat, and also weary of the uphill battle against it. A more intriguing take on the Cold War, imo.
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One complaint I have about Newman's score is that he must have used the same terrible trumpet as James Newton Howard did in Charlie Wilson's War. It sounds incredibly weak.
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